The brother of rapper Nicki Minaj is facing life in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault on a child Thursday.
A representative for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office told TheWrap that Jelani Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Maraj faces 25 years to life.
According to NBC New York, Maraj, 38, was charged with repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl at his home in Long Island. During the trial, the victim, now 14, testified that she was assaulted multiple times over an eight-month period in 2015.
Maraj’s legal team contended that the allegations were cooked up by the victim’s mother in an effort to squeeze a $25 million payoff out of Minaj, who did not testify during the trial.
Maraj’s attorney plans to appeal the verdict, NBC noted.